Three-function beverage-container opener device

Abstract

An improved combination beverage-container opener device which, in additional to providing easy removal of bottle caps and lifting of stay-on tabs to open beverage cans, provides easy, quick and full removal of stay-on tabs.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 576,285, filed Dec. 15, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to combination beverage-container opener devices and, more specifically, to such devices which can open bottle caps and open stay-on-tab beverage containers.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Countless billions of beverage containers, typically for individual consumption, are opened annually in the United States and elsewhere, with hundreds of millions of beverage containers being opened daily. Thus, there has been considerable attention to development of devices facilitating the opening of beverage containers, the great majority of which are either cans with finger-operated tabs or bottles with pry-off bottlecaps.[0004]Removable pull-off tabs of beverage cans posed two significant problems. When removed from containers, the pull-off tabs created sharp ed...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This invention is a better device for opening beverage containers and removing the tabs on them. The design has a tapering edge that makes it easy to grip and use the opener. The device also has a curved edge that fits snugly around the edge of the beverage can, making it easy to remove the tab. The angle between the device and the can is important, and the device is designed to apply the force needed to remove the tab easily.

Problems solved by technology

Removable pull-off tabs of beverage cans posed two significant problems.

When removed from containers, the pull-off tabs created sharp edges along the tab perimeters which could cause injury, primarily cut fingers.

Also, such sharp edges could cut through trash bags, and thus potentially exacerbate the risks and problems.

Of greatest concern, however, was that removed pull-off tabs contributed to general littering of yards, parks, parking areas and the like.

One drawback of stay-on-tabs is the problem sometimes encountered by a user, particularly a user with weak fingers, long fingernails, or fingers with wide fingertips.

Another problem of stay-on tabs, however, is related to the fact that the key advantage of stay-on tabs is the fact that they stay on.

Because of this, when it comes to stay-on tabs, which are the dominant (nearly universal) form of tabs used for beverage containers today, large numbers of beverage consumers repeatedly bend stay-on tabs until the metal adjacent to the small ring-like portion thereof (through which the rivet secures the tab to the top of the beverage can) fractures, in effect causing removal of the tab.

This removal process is not only a bit time-consuming and inconvenient, but nearly always leaves a ragged, sharp metal edge on the container top which can pose safety concerns.

These devices, however, are not developed or configured to also allow easy, complete, and therefore clean and safe removal of stay-on tabs.

Their configurations are such that they would interfere with or make difficult their use, particularly by users with fairly weak hands and fingers for any tab removal purpose—even if a user might have intended such purposes.

In addition, even in such a hypothetical situation, the structures of such prior combination devices fall far short of that which would facilitate operations.

Such combination beverage-container opener devices of the prior art tend to be of fairly complex construction, which means that production thereof tends to entail more cost than may be desirable for such simple tools.

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